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Written by: Angelika Reimann
My name is Angelika, and I live in Pleinfeld, a small town near Nuremberg in Germany. During my apprenticeship in Germany, I got the opportunity to participate in a work experience program here in Killarney for two weeks through the Erasmus Program. Since Killarney is the sister town of Pleinfeld, many of our students have the opportunity to take part in work experience placements in Killarney. This time around, a group of 15 students and two teachers are participating in the program. During our stay in Killarney, we are living with host families. I am so happy with my host family, as they have been incredibly kind and welcoming.
From Tuesday to Friday, we gained experience at our work placements. On the first day of my work experience, I received a tour of the Scotts Hotel Killarney to get to know the hotel. On the other days, I gained valuable work experience in several areas, including the marketing department, reception, and housekeeping.
I arrived in Killarney on Saturday, March 29. During the first weekend, we went on an excursion and did the Ring of Kerry by bus. It took almost the whole day. Along the way, we enjoyed breath-taking views of mountains and lakes. We also had the opportunity to visit a golf club called Waterville Golf Links. On Monday, we attended an English class at the Killarney School of English. It was a very interesting and enjoyable cultural experience that gave us the chance to improve our language skills.
After each workday, I went for a walk in Killarney National Park. It is very nice there, and it is a wonderful place to relax. Killarney has a lively town centre, with lots of little pubs and shops at every corner. I went to some of those pubs in the evenings to enjoy Ireland’s favourite drink, Guinness, and to party.
Another item on our list was visiting the Gaelic Roots, a combination of Irish dancing and singing. It was amazing to see it.
The next weekend, we did a hop-on hop-off tour through Killarney. We visited Ross Castle, Muckross House and Gardens, Muckross Abbey, and the Muckross Traditional Farms. All of these are really worth visiting. I liked it very much.
The same weekend, the Wander Wild Festival took place in Killarney. I joined the festival on Sunday, which was our day off. There were lots of activities you could do, such as yoga in the park, kayaking, or taking a healing sound bath. On top of that, different musicians performed live music on the main stage. There were also many activities for children, so there was something for everybody.
Now we have one more week of work before we leave Killarney. I started Monday by helping out in the restaurant. For the next two days, I went on a boat trip with Killarney Lake Tours, starting at Ross Castle, and took some photos to make a leaflet about this area that can be distributed to German tourists. On Thursday, we had a dinner at a Killarney Brewery that we found during our trip on the Ring of Kerry. Our next stop will be Dublin for one night, where we will do some sightseeing. After that, we will return home to Germany on Sunday.
